A Vermont dairy farm is taking a novel approach to reducing polluted runoff into Lake Champlain by spinning its manure in a centrifuge to remove some of the phosphorus.
Machia and Sons Dairy LLC is believed to be the first to use the technology in Vermont.
A screw pump removes the solids from the manure that are then decomposed into bedding for cows. The manure liquid is put through a centrifuge to remove half of the phosphorus into what can be sold as a soil additive.
In June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its final phosphorus reduction goals for the lake, calling for a decrease of 64.3 percent in Missisquoi Bay, in an area known in the state for its dairy farms.
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